Starter switch



Aug. 5, 1952 Q PENK 2,606,235

STARTER SWITCH Filed Sept. 20, 1948 INVENTOR. CHARLES PENK BY I,

ATTRNE Patented Aug. 5, 1952 STARTER SWITCH Charles Penk, Newark, N. J.,assignor to Allied Electric Products, Inc., Irvington, N. J acorporation of New Jersey Application September 20, 1948, Serial No.50,059

1 Claim.

The invention here disclosed relates to switches for startingfluorescent lamps and other gaseous discharge devices.

Special objects of the invention are to provide a starter switch whichwill operate under adverse current and ballast conditions, which willgive positive D. C. starting operation and which in fact will operateunder both A. C. and D. C. current supply.

Particularly it is a purpose of the invention to insure positivestarting under low temperature conditions, certain starting with theline voltage either high or low and definite starting whether ballastoutput is low or high.

Further objects of the invention are to prolong the lamp life byinsuring adequate preheating for starting and to insure a longer usefullife of the starter itself.

Other desirable objects attained by the invention are set forth or willappear in the course of the following specification.

The drawing accompanying and forming part of the specificationillustrates a present practical embodiment of the invention. Thestructure, however, may be modified and changed in certain respectswithin the true intent of the invention as will be apparent from thefollowing specification defining and broadly claiming the invention.

Fig. 1 in the drawing is a front elevation of one of the starterswitches, with the enclosing can or cover indicated in broken lines.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a broken detail of the thermostatic switch elements of theglow tube.

Fig. 4 is a simplified wiring diagram.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the invention comprises a special combinationof glow switch and thermal switch, connected as represented in Fig. 4with the glow switch normally in open circuit condition and the thermalswitch normally closed.

The glow switch is designated '5 and is shown as having a thermostaticelement 6, separated when cold from a companion switch element 1.

The thermal switch is shown as made up of a thermostatic strip 8carrying a contact 9 at its free end, engaged when cold with a fixedswitch contact ID.

A low resistance heater I l is designed to quickly heat the bimetal toopen the starter circuit at 9, i and a high resistance heater I2 isarranged to hold the bimetal in the open circuit condition duringoperation of the lamp or other gaseou discharge device shown at [3 inFig. 4

The glow switch and thermal switch are mounted in closely adjoiningrelation on an insulating base l4, said base carrying terminal contactsI5, I 6 for engagement with the contacts of the starter switch socketand the can I! enclosing the parts.

The high resistance heater I2 is connected directly across the terminalsl5, l6 and the low resistance heater H is connected by wire l8 in serieswith the stationary contact M.

The normally separated contacts of the glow switch are connected bywires I9, 20 with the terminals l5, l6 and similarly the condenser 2i isconnected directly across the terminals by the wires 22, 23.

The normally closed thermal switch 8, 9, I0 is connected in series withthe fluorescent lamp to give a predetermined preheat on the initialstart.

The normally open glow switch is in parallel with the thermal switch andcomes into operation only when the thermal switch is open and thefluorescent lamp has failed to light. Consequently, the glow switchoperates as a standby to start the lamp if it should fail to start onthe first efiort of the thermal switch. The glow switch thus may nevercome into action but it is present to supplement the thermal switch andto take care of starting the lamp if for any cause the thermal switchshould fail in its attempt to start the lamp.

The parts of the thermal switch may all be mounted on a thin fiatinsulating base 24 which takes up small space and hence permits of thetwo switches being combined in the side by side relation shown on theone supporting base M.

The combination of therma1 switch and glow switch illustrated assuresstarting under low termperature and other adverse starting conditionsand assures longer useful life to the starting switch and to the lampserved by the starting switch.

What is claimed is:

A compound starter switch of the character disclosed comprising aninsulating base, terminals on said insulating base for cooperation withthe contacts of a starting switch socket, a thermal switch mounted onsaid base and including a bimetal and a cooperating stationary contactengaged by said bimetal when cold, a low resistance heater for saidbimetal in heat transfer relation thereto and connected in normallyclosed circuit series relation with said bimetal and companion switchcontact, said low resistance heater being connected with one terminaland said switch contact being connected with the other terminal, a highresistance heater in heat transfer relation to said bimetal and arrangedwhen hot to hold the bimetal in open circuit condition, said highresistance heater being directly connected across said terminals and anormally open circuit glow switch on open circuit when cold, connectedin parallel with said thermal switch and high resistance heater directlyacross said terminals and thereby connected for immediate activationwhen said bimetal heated by said low resistance heater, disengages thecooperating stationary contact.

CHARLES PENK'.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent: V

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,285,450 McCarthy June 9, 194232,313,744 Hays Mar; 16, 1943 2,344,774 Hodgkins Mar. 21, 1944 102,379,115 Thayer June 26, 1945

